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Meddling with Murder - Ellie Campbell



Description
Crouch End Confidential, the agency started by housewife and mother, Cathy O'Farrell, with ex-cleaner, Pimple, is failing badly. Hardly surprising when Cathy's too soft-hearted to charge their only clients, little old ladies seeking lost pets and a school kid searching for his stolen bike. 

A new case involving a teenager in possession of an unexplained Glock pistol promises to change all that. Quickly Cathy's deep in waters over her head, forced with hilarious results to pose as a mathematics tutor, a subject of which she's truly clueless. There's also the tricky situation of best friend and new mother Rosa hiring her to investigate her fiancé, Alec, plus the mysterious sabotage of Cathy's friends' cycle shop and a gang of yobbos dealing drugs at her children's primary school. 

Worst of all, an ill-fated trip to rural Norfolk has Cathy's husband, Declan, intent on buying a post office and transplanting the family to safer climes, threatening to tear Cathy permanently from her beloved North London home. 

Pretty soon Cathy's risking her friendships, her marriage and even her life untangling all these messes. But that's what you get for meddling in murder...

 Review
This book is a follow on novel from "To Catch a Creeper" which I reviewed here. It's not necessary to have read either of the previous books in this series as they are standalone books.

 I felt this book was a little different to the previous two books as Cathy seems to have grown up, I mean she does mind maps! She is still dizzy and getting in a muddle, but somehow she copes better with it. I was LOL! at the text speak where Cathy and her ex-cleaner Pimple try to get down with the kids.

 Although there is a murder in this book and obviously Cathy meddles in it, this book is what I would call a "cosy crime" book. Except this time I did start to get a little anxious at one of the scraps Cathy landed herself in. A very clever plot line ensures she has a new sidekick to make sure she doesn't come to too much harm. 

 So many little nuances I found very amusing in this book. The bums and tums classes, the maths homework, Cathy's antics for house viewing and her going undercover. All little gems and great insights with a comical touch.

 Once again a great read from the two sisters, and no you can't spot who writes which bit. You do need to suspend disbelief at times, but if you want a hard hitting crime novel, then read another author.....

 I'm giving this book 5 out of 5 stars.

 I received an advance copy of this book from the author in exchange for an honest review.

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